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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — the season
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. net — after costs
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stem — to come from
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com